What is your earliest memory?Hallucinating with scarlet fever that the refrigerator in the next room blew up, killing my parents.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?Maggie, my wife – for putting up with me.

What was your most embarrassing moment?I've wiped it from my memory.

Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?Anything over £5 is expensive to me.

Where would you like to live?On the outskirts of a medieval village on a mountain overlooking the sea, with a funicular to the beach and a ski-lift to the slopes above and a level road to the shops. Where? Obviously in my imagination.

What would your super power be?To fly a few feet off the ground.

What makes you unhappy?Not being able to work.

What does love feel like?Miserable.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?The ability of a man to recite the entire Iliad and Odyssey.

What is your most unappealing habit?Farting in small, enclosed spaces.

What is your favourite smell?Swamp gas – it brings back memories of my childhood in Minnesota.

What is your favourite word?Erudite

What is the worst thing anyone's ever said to you?That I was a genius.

We'll be streaming Terry Gilliam's latest film, The Wholly Family, ahead of his Extra event at the Guardian office on 23 January, when he'll be interviewed by Peter Bradshaw and answer questions from the audience and online community.